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115 tanni, or royal capitals such as Mari, Carchemish, or Susa, which were doubt-filled puzzles, were literally dug up by ar- chaeology; in their ruins there were found not only telltale artifacts but also thousands of inscribed clay tablets that brought to light both their existence as well as the extent of their debt to the Sumerian legacy. Virtually everywhere, Su- merian “firsts” in sciences and technology, literature and art, kingship and priesthood were the foundation on which sub- sequent cultures were developed. In astronomy, Sumerian terminology, orbital formulas, planetary lists, and zodiacal concepts were retained. The Sumerian cuneiform script was kept in use for another thousand years, and then more. The Destiny Had Fifty Names FIGURE 49